Missoula proclaims July 2025 to mark the ADA anniversary; advocates urge local enforcement and codification

Mayor Andrea Davis read a city proclamation July 21 recognizing the July anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and urging continued work to achieve ADA compliance and community inclusion.

The proclamation notes that the ADA, signed into law on July 26, 1990, "is a civil rights milestone" and affirmed the city’s commitment to implementation. After the proclamation, community advocates addressed council.

Blake de Pastino, director of communications for Summit Independent Living, spoke for the organization and read remarks originally prepared by a policy director. "The ADA is more than law. It is a civil rights milestone, a social movement, and a promise," De Pastino said. He told council that, while Missoula has "made strides in the realm of inclusion, equity, and accessibility," national policy changes are putting access at risk: "Federal agencies are trying to weaken accessibility standards. Medicaid . . . is being slashed," he said as part of a broader appeal to recommit to the ADA’s goals.

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